Three gunmen launched an attack on a house in Guayaquil, one of the Ecuadorian cities, leaving five people dead and eight others injured.
Eyewitnesses noted that three men who arrived on a motorcycle in the Isla Trinitaria district broke into a house where they “shot several times”.
Police director Fabri Modalvo told a press conference that the victims included one policeman.
Ecuador is currently facing an unprecedented surge in violence in its recent history. In 2022, homicides linked to drug-related crimes nearly doubled compared to 2021, rising from 14 to 25 per 100,000 inhabitants.
On May 25, a restaurant in the popular tourist location of Montanita was the scene of a horrific shooting that left six people dead and the same number wounded.
Just two days prior, armed attackers invaded a funeral home in the nearby area of Manda, opening fire on those present and resulting in four deaths and eight injuries.
The drastic increase in violence is being attributed by authorities to gang conflicts over the Pacific coast, an important center for drug trafficking routes towards the US and Europe.
